Two-thirds of all mass transit riders in the United States use the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York’s system. The MTA board voted Wednesday “to enact a series of fare hikes and service cutbacks needed to keep the transit system from going broke.”

With transit agencies running in the red, some have found themselves linked to complex financial deals -- in the hopes of creating new revenue sources -- that have since soured as a result of the Recession, potentially leaving cash strapped systems owing millions more in debt. In the final segment of a two part report for Blueprint America, correspondent Rick Karr looks at the fallout of these arrangements as, in many cases, it's not just money but the safety of riders at risk. (Part 2 of 2)

A breakdown of Transportation and Infrastructure stimulus funding by state.

Two of the Big Three on transportation and infrastructure reform in America, Gov. Ed Rendell, Democrat of Pennsylvania, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican of California (they make up the group, Building America's Future, along with Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Independent of New York City), in a conversation on that very same subject -- calling for a reprioritization of infrastructure development and planning throughout the country. Not only will it modernize infrastructure, they say, bringing it into the 21st century, but it will also quicken economic recovery. By that standard, America is already a decade behind.

A breakdown of provisions and funding requirements for mass transit in The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Established by the Obama Administration, Recovery.gov will track the $787 billion from the economic stimulus bill with the purpose of holding the federal government accountable with the public's money. This increased transparency is intended to enable the tax-payer to follow where the money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going.

As President Barack Obama signed the stimulus bill in Denver on Tuesday, it released the biggest influx of federal dollars since the Great Society program of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Unlike LBJ, President Obama – working with less of a Democratic majority – ultimately had to make significant concessions to Congressional moderates and Republicans to pass the bill.

Blueprint America correspondent Rick Karr talks with The Take Away on public radio about the operating budget shortfall common to most of America’s mass transit systems, and if Congress’ stimulus plan will be able to help.

A look at America's top mass transit systems - from budget deficits to finding new revenue sources to how agencies will manage both. Also, find out how each agency plans to use federal funds from the economic stimulus.